A Close Call in Second Life!

Buy the ticket, take the ride.

Hunter S. Thompson

          While initially sitting down to write this story, something unusual happened.  (In case anyone is alarmed, this all happened in Second Life (SL) but does have Real Life (RL) implications.)

          Something that doesn’t happen too often when I’m writing.  A major swing in the story changed the angle that I had completely!  Not only that, but it was good news to boot!  (Significant Other does agree that it’s rare for me to be the bearer of good news.) 

          Here’s what happened!

          A few days ago, I learned that Naked, the beloved, nudist group of sims, was going to close at the end of June this year.  I’d first come across Naked over three years ago when I first started exploring nudity inworld.  This would have been a major loss to the SL community.  The sims were beautiful and regularly updated.  Some of the most extensive

erotic art galleries inworld were available for viewing and guest artists exhibited regularly.  There were areas dedicated to sailing, bondage, and, of course, plain old vanilla nudity.  

          The sims were a great place to wander about either by yourself or with a friend.  Besides the beautiful vistas there were quiet corners for partners to be alone and intimate.  Residents were friendly and respectful of one another.  I made several good friendships from Naked. 

          So, when Devorax, one of the owners, published an announcement that the nine sims which comprised Naked were closing early this summer, I was both shocked and saddened.  Devorax was spending over £1,000 a month to maintain the sims and he just wasn’t spending enough time inworld anymore to justify the expense.  He did leave open the possibility that someone could take over from him on generous terms.  However, I’d seen this happen too many times before inworld where nothing ever comes of these offers. 

          Except this time!

          Catori, a longtime Naked community member, has stepped forward to take over ownership of Naked later this year!  

          I only learned yesterday of this news and was only able to confirm it this morning.  (I

hope my three loyal readers appreciate how I stayed on top of this story for them!)  I don’t have all the details yet, but it appears that Naked will stay open as is.  

          I haven’t met Catori yet and I’m trying to schedule an interview with her. Catori’s generous offer will mean that the communities that comprise Naked will continue.  

          The implications here are significant.  A successful, long running SL community has been saved and has avoided joining the list of once thriving sims that have shut down for one reason or another.  I won’t say that this a major turning point in what has been an unending litany of closures but it’s certainly a good sign!  We will have continuity for a community inworld and not see its residents either thrown out to wander aimlessly across the Grid or to leave altogether.  

          Naked has always been one of my favorite nudist communities inworld.  (Significant Other’s eyes roll.  Need I say who gave me the idea to go about in the altogether inworld in the first place?) and everyone should celebrate its staying open.  Drop by and visit, especially if you’ve never been there before.  (Don’t be shy!)  If you can contribute

financially when you visit, I’m sure Catori would appreciate the help!  If you can’t, not to worry, then just show up and show your support for a wonderful community in SL!   

          I’d like to thank Devorax for all the years of fun and community that he supported inworld!  He’ll be missed!  I don’t know where his journey will take him but I wish him the very best and I hope his path leads him back to SL from time to time!  

As always, I’m grateful to all inworld for their kindness and time in stopping to talk with a stranger who was passing through their lives!  

Additional pictures from my visits to Naked can be seen on this flickr page.  (No, no nude bodies, we’re still not that type of blog!) 

          My Twitter handle is @webspelunker.  Please feel free to follow me and I’d be happy to follow you.

I can be found on Google+ as webspelunker Ghostraven.

My flickr Photostream is located here.

On Skype I’m webspelunker Ghostraven.

I welcome feedback from readers, please either comment on my blog or e-mail me at webspelunker@gmail.com . 

          If you would like to read about my other adventures in Second Life please click here. 

          Open roads and kind fires!           

Getting a Massage in Second Life

 

The body never lies. 

Martha Graham

 

 

          Someone asked me in Second Life (SL) the other day where they could get a massage inworld.  I actually had some recommendations!  I guess all my time spent wandering around on the Grid is beginning to pay off.  (Significant Other says something sounding like “Finally!) 

          During my travels, I’ve come across two small, decent massage facilities. (I’m trying to avoid calling them massage parlors with their negative American connotations.  Significant Other’s eyes roll.)  

          Naked Bondage, part of the Naked franchise inworld, has a massage facility located in an ancient Roman bath.  Entering the building, a large bathing pool dominates the center.  At one end are lounge chairs and at the other is the massage area.  There is one

table suitable for use by couples.  Besides basic massage, erotic massage is available as well. 

          The facility is small but conducive to an intimate session for a couple.  There are no masseurs/masseuses available so bringing a partner is recommended.  During my visits, there have never been other visitors and so is very quiet.  The massage area can be located here.    

          Another massage facility is located at Madame Jenny’s Tea and Shibari House.  I recently blogged about this facility in my introduction to shibari or Japanese bondage.  Located on the third floor of this building is a small area for massage with a traditional,

Japanese hot tub (with shibari capabilities) for guests use.  Standing nearby is massage table with rubbing oils on a separate stand.  The room looks like it came from a Japanese onsen.  In addition to basic and erotic massages, Thai massage can also take place here. 

          As with the last site, no assistance is available and a partner is recommended.  The site is evocative of the Far East and offers a private setting for a couple.  The site can be found here. 

          For my final recommendation, I went looking for a massage facility that actually has masseurs/masseuses on site for clients.  I found one called Happy Hands Massage Parlor.  (Significant Other snickers.)  As its name implies, Happy Hands is dedicated to providing massage services to its guests.

          The parlor is a low, single story building with facilities on the roof.  Entering the main doorway, a visitor is in a lobby with the profile pictures of available staff.  Except that the two times I visited for this story, no one was online.

          Off the corridor leading away from the lobby is a large party room and four smaller rooms used for private massage centers.  The massage tables contained therein offer basic

and erotic massages.  Free towels are available.  On the roof, accessible by an outside staircase, is large sauna, a very big marble hot tub, and a fire pit.

          There is a fee for using the facility and payments to the staff are negotiated separately.  Of the three sites, I visited for this story, Happy Hands offers the most services and has staff.  I do recommend checking to see when they’re available.  And, as I said previously, there is a charge payable in Lindens.  Happy Hands Massage Parlor is located here.    

          These three sites offer the basics for massage services inworld.  As in Real Life (RL), these are what people make of them.  With a partner, they can be fun and enjoyable plus with whatever other services may be offered like bathing pools or shibari! 

          Give it a try, you just might like it! 

As always, I’m grateful to all inworld for their kindness and time in stopping to talk with a stranger who was passing through their lives! 

Additional pictures from my visits can be found on this flickr page. 

My Twitter handle is @webspelunker.  Please feel free to follow me and I’d be happy to follow you.

I can be found on Google+ as webspelunker Ghostraven.

My flickr Photostream is located here.

On Skype I’m webspelunker Ghostraven.

I welcome feedback from readers, please either comment on my blog or e-mail me at webspelunker@gmail.com . 

          If you would like to read about my other adventures in Second Life please click here.

          Open roads and kind fires!               

 

 

Looking Back on 2013 in Second Life

For last year's words belong to last year's language
And next year's words await another voice.

T. S. Eliot

 

          Sitting at my keyboard in Real Life (RL), the realization is dawning on me that another year is passing away.  As is my want, I take this time of the year to become a little nostalgic and reminisce a bit about my misadventures in Second Life (SL).  (Be warned, many of already know what I’m like when I get like this!)

          I like to think back about where I’ve been, who I’ve met, and the experiences I’ve had.  How did I do against where I wanted to go this year?  (Not great, but I have my excuses ready.) 

          Most importantly of all, was it a good year?

          Looking back, I did go to new places and met new people.  I visited several art galleries inworld and met the artists and curators behind them.  I’ve learned that there is a thriving art world in SL and many creative people are at work here rivalling their RL counterparts. 

          I participated in various RL holidays and festivals like the Chinese Lunar New Year, St. Patrick’s Day and Cinco de Mayo inworld both thanks to my good friend Perryn Peterson.  (Who by the way was also my subject for this year’s One of the Most Interesting Second Life Residents I’ve Met story.) 

          I got serious too.  I looked into social issues like bullying inworld.  Being always fascinated by where RL ends and SL begins, I blogged about identity, trust and loss in SL.  (Speaking of which, Significant Other always worries I’m going to invite everyone I’ve met over for dinner someday unannounced.)  Bitcoin was addressed and I’m still waiting to see how digital currencies such as this work with virtual worlds.  I also touched on the dirty, little secret of SL.

          New worlds beckoned and I spent time among the Goreans, an interesting community whom I need to return to.  Very different, but nonetheless interesting, was the Regency Era sim that I dropped into and which I recommend to all Jane Austen fans. 

          My travels among the nude continued with first time visits to Naked and Utopia Naked Isle Resort.  Friendly people and great facilities make these must visits for the aspiring nudist inworld.  I’ve made several good friends at both sims. 

          2013 was a year of new experiences for me in SL too.  With my good friend, Lisah Lorefield, I attended her Tarot card reading.  Thanks to Starla Farella, I had a makeover inworld and feel more like a real avi now.  Starla is a genius when it comes to creating a more lifelike avatar and I refer all to her who are looking to look more like a real person inworld.  Of course, I had another laptop crash this year which caused me to ponder how we can exist with SL when we can’t access it directly.  (OK, maybe Significant Other is right, and I do have too much time on my hands.) 

          But, let me honest and talk a bit about things that I didn’t get around to.  Like my two series, Sex and the Single Avatar in Second Life and The Seven Wonders of the Ancient World in Second Life, I’ve been remiss there and I will return to them in the New Year.  I also never started the series entitled Shoemaker’s Children where I’d blog about Linden Lab and its disappointments.  Or, failing to follow up on other promising stories I’d written.

          I’ll spare you my excuses (Significant Other has already heard them and is unimpressed.) but I’ll return to all these (the stories not the excuses) in the New Year. 

          What are my observations about SL overall this year? 

          I still find the sense of community to be very strong.  Creativity in builds and artwork is as high as ever if not higher than before.  Yet, I worry about the loss of people and once popular sims.  Some that I’ve visited in prior years are no longer with us.  Some friends are no longer around and they are missed.  I can only hope that they are happy in their RL’s and responsibilities there have kept them away.  (And, not as Significant Other has suggested, they’re trying to avoid me.) 

          My readership is up and I thank all of you!  Please keep reading and feel free to continue to distribute links to my blog and stories! 

          What do we have to look forward to in 2014?

          I will continue the series I’ve already started and mentioned above.  I’ll go back for more stories on Gor and erotic art inworld.   

          RL activities on my part will help me in overhauling my blog layout and increase the use of social media. 

          There will be more involvement in community activities like the 1920’s Berlin Book Club.  I’ll also go deeper in my stories and try to be less superficial as I sometimes am. 

          Finally, I’ll work to be a better friend inworld.  As a wanderer in SL, I realize I’m very bad at staying in touch and following up.  I can blame the call of the open road inworld and RL responsibilities but those are only excuses. Expect to see and hear more from me in the New Year.  (Including that long overdue game of Greedy, Greedy that I owe to two friends!) 

          So, let’s go back to my earlier question, was it a good year?

          Without any qualifications on my part, yes, it was.  I stayed in touch with some old friends, met new ones, and had new experiences.   I found all the reasons why I came inworld in the first place to be still valid.  I think I discovered a few new reasons to boot.  I continue to enjoy being inworld and blogging about it.

          Yes, it was a good year inworld, a very good year!

          Before I go any further, I’d like to thank Significant Other who continues to support my inworld activities and blogging while still marveling that I haven’t been thrown out yet.

          To my many SL friends, it would be hard to thank all of you individually but I would like to thank Perryn Peterson for all his magnificent events and always allowing me the scoop on them.  I’d like to thank my Research Assistant, Tera Trenchcoat, for volunteering to help me in my travels despite the hardships of putting up with me and some of my well-intentioned but misguided brilliant ideas.  Thanks to both of you and everyone else! 

Happy New Year!

I’ll see all of you in 2014! 

My Twitter handle is @webspelunker.  Please feel free to follow me and I’d be happy to follow you.

As always, I’m grateful to all inworld for their kindness and time in stopping to talk with a stranger who was passing through their lives.   

I welcome feedback from readers, please either comment on my blog or e-mail me at webspelunker@gmail.com . 

          If you would like to read about my other adventures in Second Life please click here.